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Directions

Fortune Cookie:

For the mousse: Place the heavy cream, fresh ginger and ground ginger in a medium saucepan and bring to just under a boil. Turn off the heat and let the cream sit for about an hour. Remove from the heat and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight or up to 4 days.

For the fortune cookie: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg whites until combined. Whisk in the melted butter, then the flour and then the ginger (or extract or spice of your choice). Place the batter in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. (The batter will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a very flat, level baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, and liberally spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Spoon about a tablespoon of batter onto the baking sheet and, using the back of the spoon or an offset spatula, carefully spread the batter into a circle 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Your first few times you should probably stick to making these one at a time but once you get the hang of it, try making 2 to 3 at a time. Bake until the tuile is completely golden brown all over, 12 to 14 minutes.

As soon as the tuile is done, remove it from the oven and immediately start to slide a spatula underneath the tuile to loosen it from the sheet. The tuile will go through several stages before it gets to its final cooled and crispy state. Directly out of the oven it is too hot and delicate to handle. After about 10 seconds it firms up enough to hold its shape so you can handle it and shape it. It stays pliable for 10 to 15 more seconds; this is your window of opportunity to work with the cookie. Once you've worked the spatula under the whole cookie, pick it up and shape into a fortune cookie. If you wait too long the cookie starts to harden and cool and then your attempt to shape it will result in a shattered mess. You can place the cookie back into the oven for a few seconds to re-warm it into a pliable state. However, with each reheating, the cookie cools down even faster so I recommend only 2 re-heatings. Use a new cool baking sheet for each batch or cool your baking sheet under cool water before reusing. If you try to spoon the batter onto a hot sheet it will immediately start to melt and become un-spreadable. Continue with all of the batter until you have 8 to 10 cookies. Let cool for 30 minutes. Cookies hold for about a day in an airtight container.

To assemble: When you are ready to serve the mousse, strain the ginger-flavored heavy cream into a large mixing bowl. Whip the cream until it holds a peak. Fold in the Lemon Curd. Divide into serving bowls and top with candied ginger and a fortune cookie.

Lemon Curd:

In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, combine the lemon juice and butter, place over medium-high heat and heat to just under a boil. In a medium, heatproof bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks until blended, then slowly whisk in the sugar until combined. Remove the lemon juice mixture from the heat and gradually whisk a little of it into the sugar/egg mixture. Continue whisking the hot liquid into the sugar/egg mixture, a little at a time, until all of it has been incorporated. When all of the hot liquid has been incorporated, return the contents of the bowl to the saucepan and return the saucepan to medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon and making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan frequently to prevent the eggs from scrambling, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon thickly. To test, draw your finger along the back of the spoon; the curd should hold the trail for a second or two before it fills. Remove the curd from the heat and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk in the vanilla and salt. You should have about 3 cups. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until cold. (The curd can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)